SYLLABUS

Course Title: Media Writing (2) (E)

Course Number: 0800200
Fall 2010
Instructor Dr. Amal Gaber
Office W7-Office #222
Office Phone 5053669
E-mail aibrahim@sharjah.ac.ae
Class Time M & W 11:00-12:15
Office Hours will be announced later in class and on blackboard
Class Building & Room: W6 (005)
Course Pre-requisite: 0800101

Course Description:

This course covers writing in English for a range of media fields: print and electronic
journalism, public relations and advertising, etc. Students learn the basics of writing for
mass communication including writing news leads, news stories, simple advertisements,
broadcast items and press releases.

In this class, student will learn processes of writing different materials and formats for
different media

Objectives:

Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:

1. Identify the principles of clear media writing and proper style for print, broadcast,
and web.
2. Practice proper media writing skills.
3. Learn how to plan and write basic types news stories, interviews, commercials
and announcements, features and documentaries.
4. Demonstrate the procedures to follow during interviews and when researching
and evaluating information.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the resources available to print, broadcast and
web journalists for gathering and disseminating information.
6. Employ computer skills in word processing, scripting, database use and web
searches.
7. Be able to critique already written material.

Text:

Selected Readings are from the following text Books:

Fedler & Bender (2005) Reporting for the Media. 8th edition
Hilliard, Robert L. (2003) Writing for Television, Radio, and New Media. 8th edition

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Basis for Evaluation
Points and grades are awarded as indicated below. The final letter grade will be based
upon the total number of points earned.

Points Breakdown:
Points and grades are awarded as indicated below. The final letter grade will be based
upon the total number of points earned.

Exam 1 20 %
Exam 2 20 %
Final Exam 40 %
Class Work (Portfolio) / 20%
Writing workshops &
Attendance

Total 100 points

Writing & Critique Assignments:

 To help you learn media writing style rules and improve your writing, you will be
asked to write various media writing formats that we will cover in class (see
course schedule). Some writing assignments will be an individual work, while
other work needs to be done in a group (WRITING WORKSHOPS). Some
writing will be In-class Writing Assignments and others will be homework
assignments.

 You will also be asked to read, watch, and analyze the writing from different
media materials & contents.

 All assignments & workshops writings should be kept in a folder/portfolio.

 More details about these assignments will be given throughout the semester.

Policies
1. Attendance Policy

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class session. Students are
required to attend all class sessions. Students will be counted as absent after
attendance has been taken. It is also essential that student arrive to class on time. It
is very disturbing to interrupt your classmates and instructor once class has begun.
Remember, if you miss a class you will be responsible for obtaining any material
and information concerning that day.

All Cell Phones MUST Be Turned off When Entering Classroom.

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2. Make-Up Work

 Only students with excused absences (e.g., documented emergencies) will be

allowed to make up work (e.g., exams, in-class exercises & workshops). Students
need to contact the instructor immediately (within 24-hours of the scheduled
task), and make an arrangement for the make-up.

3. Written Assignment Format & Quality

All assignments must be typed (printed on quality printer), double-spaced, stapled.

Poorly written papers or papers with spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors will
be penalized. Proof-reading is a MUST. Keep copies of all your writing assignments.

4. Courtesy

 While there is structured class discussion and in-class activity, personal

conversation between students disrupts class and will not be tolerated.

5. Special Assistance

 Any student requiring special assistance due to a disability is urged to let me

know. I assure you that this will be confidential.

6. Academic Dishonesty

 Cheating on exams and plagiarism (e.g., copying verbatim, or almost verbatim,

from the sources, or presenting someone else’s work as your own or without
proper acknowledgment) are not tolerated. Academic dishonesty may result in
receiving a zero on the assignment or failure in the course.

IMPOIRTANT NOTE: LAST DAY TO DROP COURSE THURSDAY 14/10

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 Course Schedule – Fall 2010
NOTE: This schedule is tentative. Deviations may be necessary and will be announced
in class.

Week 1 & Week 2

(20/9-29/9)
Course overview: Objectives and requirements
Basic principles of good writing
Writing in the media environment
Basic tools of writing: Grammar, punctuation, word precision

Week 3- Week 4
(4/10-13/10)
News and News writing
Selecting and writing the news , Basic News Leads ;the Body of news story ,
inverted pyramid, quotations and attributions
Purposes and techniques of editing
Week 5- Week 6
(18/10-27/10)
Ethics
Interviews
Feature Stories & other types of stories
Exam 1 Wednesday 28/10
Week 7- Week 8
(1/11-10/11)
Writing for Broadcast
Week 9- Week 10
(15/11 -24/11)
NO CLASS on 15/11 & 17/ 11 EID ADHA break!
Writing for public relations
Week 11- Week12
(29/11-8/12)
Exam 2 Monday 29/11
Writing for public relations
Writing Advertising
1/12 is Last day for dropping courses without Grade “F”
Week 13- Week 14
13/12-22/12
Writing for the web
Week 15 - Week 16
27/12-5/1
Catch-Up
Course Rap- up
Revision for exam
Final Exam Period (From 9-19 January)

IMPORTANT DATES FROM UOS Fall 2010 Academic Calendar

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 http://www.sharjah.ac.ae/English/Academics/AcademicCalender/Pages/default.aspx

1 Sunday 19 10 Classes begin

Sept. Shawal
1 Thursday 23 14 End of drop & add period
Sept. Shawal
4 Thursday 14 6 Dhi Al- Last day for withdrawal from Semester
Oct. Qida
Sun. - 31 23 Dhi Admission period for master students for Spring Semester 2010/2011
Thu. Oct.- Al-Qida begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 2010/2011 end_of_the
16 1431- _skype_highlighting
Dec. 10
Muharam
1432
Sun.- 14-18 8-12 Dhi Eid Al Adha holiday
Thu. Nov. Al-Hijja
1431
10 Wed. 1 Dec. 25 Dhi Last day for dropping courses without Grade “F”
Al-Hijja
Thu. 2 Dec. 26 Dhi UAE National Day
Al-Hijja
Tue. 7 Dec. 1 Hijri New Year's Holiday
Muharam
1432
Sun.- 19-20 13-14 TOEFL test for master programs’ applicants for Spring Sem.
Mon. Dec Muharam 2010/2011
begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 2010/2011 end_of_the
_skype_highlighting
15 Thu. 6 Jan. 2 Safar Classes end
2011
Sun.- 9-19 5-15 Final examinations
wed. Jan. Safar